Flats dominate London homes available to let

Landlords letting houses in London account for only a small share of the capital’s advertised homes, with flats making up 84.7% of available properties.

Research by letting agents Benham and Reeves examined 42,598 listings across London’s 32 boroughs and the City of London.

Of those, 36,061 were flats, although the mix of homes available varied considerably between boroughs.

Westminster alone accounted for 11% of the capital’s advertised supply, the largest share of any borough.

London lettings market

Marc von Grundherr, a director of the firm, said: “There’s been no shortage of doom and gloom surrounding London’s rental market, particularly as landlords and letting agents adjust to the changes brought about by the Renters’ Rights Act.

“However, it’s important that we don’t lose sight of the fact that London remains a substantial and diverse rental market, with almost 43,000 properties currently available to tenants across the capital.”

He added: “Of course, there’s a general perception that renting in London means living in a flat or apartment and, to an extent, that’s understandable.

“Flats are by far the most common rental property type, with both lifestyle preferences and affordability making them the most accessible option for many tenants.”

Property supply by borough

Kensington and Chelsea had the second-largest share of available properties at 8.2%, followed by Tower Hamlets, Brent and Barnet.

Together with Westminster, these five boroughs accounted for more than a third of all London homes advertised to let.

In the City of London, flats made up 99.4% of available properties.

Tower Hamlets had the next-highest proportion at 95.2%, ahead of Islington, Westminster and Hackney.

Houses available to let

Across the capital, tenants looking for a house could choose from 3,692 terraced properties, 1,723 semi-detached homes and 1,122 detached homes, the firm’s data shows.

Hillingdon had the highest proportion of semi-detached properties in its advertised stock, while Havering ranked second for both semi-detached and terraced homes.

Detached houses accounted for 8.7% of listings in Kingston upon Thames, the highest proportion among the boroughs, followed by Barnet and Bromley at 8.3% each.

For terraced houses, Barking and Dagenham led with 28.9% of its available properties, compared with 8.7% across London.